Celebrity

Angela Simmons flashes Baby Bump Before Beyonce’s NYC Concert

Posted on June 9, 2016

First-time mom-to-be Angela Simmons showed off her growing bump last night before heading off to the NYC leg of Beyonce’s Formation tour. I am officially jealous though I have been enjoying the social media and blog world’s photos of the tour.

I did also find this Boomerang gif of the baby mogul and reality TV star of Growing up Hip Hop really cute.

Simmons announced that she is expecting her first child in May.

Headed to ??❤️
A video posted by Angela Simmons (@angelasimmons) on Jun 8, 2016 at 4:08pm PDT

What a show! Love Beyoncé !!! ????????? @krjnyc A video posted by Angela Simmons (@angelasimmons) on Jun 8, 2016 at 8:31pm PDT

Such a great concert ???
A video posted by Angela Simmons (@angelasimmons) on Jun 8, 2016 at 8:41pm PDT

0 comments

Parenting

Father’s Perspective: ‘My Daughter is Becoming a Teen and is Challenging Me’

Posted on June 9, 2016

Charles G Hanna
Challenges force us to correct, to improve, and to grow. More importantly, they are our Higher Power’s way of directing our attention to the areas that require immediate attention. It is like a self-monitoring system that tells when and where we need to change. No matter what that challenge or even devastation is, the outcome can and will always be better provided we are in the best frame of mind to tackle it.
My daughter is turning 12 and she is starting to challenge me.
She is finishing grade 6 and has to transition to a middle school. There are many options and of course I have a good idea of where I want her to go. She has other ideas and I am perfectly fine with discussing them and even open to a different school based on her input. However, this was not a logical exchange. She started with an absurd choice and defended it with outrageous assumptions. No matter how much I tried to listen and debunk her assumptions, she dismissed everything I said without listening and just volleyed back clearly nonsensical arguments. I began to get upset because it was turning into a needless confrontation, and it kept getting worse until I had no choice but to end it on that sour note.
This was the first time that my little girl confronted me just for the sake of confrontation. Later that evening she started to follow me as if looking for reconciliation, so we had a little talk. I told her that I was hurt because she did not trust my opinion and was not even listening when all I am thinking of is her wellbeing. Anyway, we both apologized and hugged as I was getting her to sleep. I would love to say it was a happy ending, but the same thing happened the next day. Her back handed remarks became more reflexive and without thinking. I remember getting so upset that I accused her of not having any respect for me or my opinion.
This pattern of confrontation followed by making up continued and it became harder to dismiss them as a misunderstanding. I remember being very upset like my world was shaken. My reality is being altered and my serenity threatened. I was visibly upset because my close relationship with her is one of the most cherished aspects of my life. I started to become overwhelmed with feelings of loss and facing the fact that her childhood may be coming to a quick and rapid ending. Even so, I had hoped that as she grew up she would still recognize my unconditional love for her and trust me for guidance.
I was consumed by these thoughts over the following few days and became worried that I am losing my serenity and could not see an easy answer nor acceptance of this friction. That is until I reflected on my writings on how when bad things happen there is always a positive side. The only way forward is to accept it and look at a positive outcome. What became quickly obvious to me is that her confrontation is simply her exploration of independence. She is growing and it is healthy and necessary for her to be able to start reasoning for herself with whatever experience and information she has available. Being right or wrong is secondary to her need to start breaking away if she was to become a strong adult. It is time to push and explore beyond her present limits. This has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with her natural and healthy need to grow. In short I started to see the positive and it outweighs any negativity that I might have felt so far.
That evening while the friction is still palpable between us I told her that I wanted to say something. She listened apprehensively as I said that even though I was upset about our arguments, when I had a chance to think about it I started to develop a genuine respect for her qualities. I told her that she it is perfectly healthy to challenge my ideas because it is an important part of growing up. I added that I also admire her strength of character and that it is important for her development to realize that she has a right to disagree and express it regardless of whether she is right or wrong. However I also told her that while I am completely ok with our arguments it does not change the rules.
What happened next was wonderfully unexpected. She looked like she could not believe what she was hearing and hugged me. She felt her feelings were validated and I loved her the more for it. That period of confrontation passed and we seemed to enter a new chapter in her development and our relationship. We got a lot closer and she seemed to feel comfortable because I am not mad at her or think that she is stubborn or disrespectful or that her opinion does not count. She is becoming more independent and I feel that she includes me more than she would have otherwise. She is trusting me more with her thoughts and where we differ accepts my decisions more readily without feeling dismissed or defeated.
It is interesting and noteworthy to mention that a couple of months later I was sharing this experience with some friends when she entered the room. She asked what we are talking about and I asked her, “do remember the time when I told you that I did not mind our arguments and that I admired your need to disagree?” and she replied, “No”. I had to laugh because she had no recollection of what I thought was ground breaking for her.
The bottom line is that this is parenting is all about. This was just another brick in her development. It is a good brick, but it is just one brick and as a parent I need to continue to add more and more of these positive and grounding experiences as she grows.
Charles G. Hanna is the author of Higher: Awaken to a More Fulfilling Life and a devoted father of three children. For more information, please visitwww.charleshanna.com, and connect with him on Twitter, @hanna_higher.

0 comments

Celebrity

Celebrity blogger v. celebrity blogger v. Celebrity Blogger: There’s a Difference

Posted on June 9, 2016

Recently, someone asked me if I consider myself a celebrity blogger.

I had to step back and think. In my opinion, there is a difference between Celebrity blogger, celebrity blogger and Celebrity Blogger.

As a person who blogs about famous people, I consider myself a Celebrity blogger. I cover their pregnancies just like my sister blogs about hip hop stars at Posh the Socialte and Catherine Kallon once penned the now-defunct Red-Carpet Fashion awards blog about celebs on the red carpet. Then, there are the ton of gossip blogs like Michael K’s DListed.

In recent years, some people who blog about celebrities have become so famous and well-known that they are now celebrities in their own right. I think of Jared Eng from Just Jared and Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr,from PerezHilton.com, as best-known examples.

These are celebrity bloggers with lower case letters.

Finally, some celebrities launch their own blogs. The most famous is probably Gwyneth Paltrow‘s Goop blog. Molly Sims, Tori Spelling, Zooey Deschannel and others have regularly updated famous blogs too.

They qualify as Celebrity Bloggers with capital letters.

Got it? Good. (smile)

0 comments

Parenting

An average Stay-At-Home Mom would Earn 6 figures if She got a Salary

Posted on June 8, 2016

How much do you think stay-at-home moms would make if they got paid?

If you adjust 2014 data from Salary.com which says stay-at-home moms worked an average of 96.5 hours a week (the equivalent to two full time jobs), moms would get a salary of $119,600.

And that’s a conservative estimate based on earnings in a small company in an average American city. If she lived in New York or San Francisco, the cost of being your mom could be much higher.

This infographic breaks it down even further.

Your Mother Would Be Rich (If It Weren’t for YOU!)

0 comments

Here’s Our 2016 CFDA Red Carpet Rundown

Posted on June 8, 2016

The 2016 CFDA Fashion Awards went down at the Hammerstein Ballroom this past Monday, June 6, 2016 in New York City. Several of our blog alums were present including Beyonce who took home the Fashion Icon Award. She shined in a glittery box cut pin-striped suit with a wide bring black hat.

“I want to say thank you to every designer who works tirelessly to make people think they can write their own story. Y’all are fairy godmothers, magicians, sculptors, and sometimes even our therapist,” Bey said during her speech (via Vogue). “I encourage you to not forget this power you have or to take it lightly. We have the opportunity to contribute to a society where any girl can look at a billboard or magazine cover and see her own reflection. Soul has no color, no shape, no form. Just like all of your work, it goes far beyond what the eye can see. You have the power to change perception, to inspire and empower, and to show people how to embrace their complications, and see the flaws, and the true beauty and strength that’s inside all of us. Thank you so much for this incredible award, I’ll never forget this night. God bless you all. Thank you.”

Her daughter Blue Ivy walked the red carpet for the first time with her mom and dad before the event.

Other of our “Bellyitch Bumpwatch” alums spotted on the red carpet included: Heidi Klum in Rolan Mouret, Jennifer Hudson in Prabal Gurung, Alessandra Ambrosio in Michael Kors Collection, Olivia Wilde in Rosie Assoulin, Claire Danes in Calvin Klein Collection, Jourdan Dunn in Jonathan Simkhai, Ciara in Roberto Cavalli, Adriana Lima in Marc Jacobs and Alicia Silverstone and Selma Blair, both in Christian Siriano, who attended the event with his design muses.

0 comments

Fight Summer Brain Drain with These Fun Summer STEM Projects For Kids

Posted on June 8, 2016

Parents, are you scrambling about looking for camps, sporting activities and other projects for your children to engage in this Summer?

Brain drain is also a big issue for children during summer months when a lot of kids engage in mindless activities. If you would like to keep their mind sharp while doing some fun educational activities, we found some wonderful ideas from Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a nonprofit organization that provides a transformative learning experience for K-12 students and teachers across the U.S.. The organization has collaborated with some of the best teachers in the country and come up with a list of educational activities for kids to enjoy doing this summer.

Here are some ideas:

April Moon (@aprilsunshine77), Robert and Patricia Kern National Teacher of the Year – Waxahachie, TX, PLTW Engineering Master Teacher

1. Take a field trip to your local wastewater plant and / or water treatment facility. Tours are usually free but need to be scheduled beforehand. This is a great way for kids (and parents) to learn about water management processes and what we can do to help conserve water and properly care for our water resources. Water management systems involve many fields, including, but not limited to, biology, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, and environmental engineering.

2. With so many products now being manufactured, many students do not get much experience with hand tools. One great summer project is to design and build a small structure with your kids, such as a dog house or a tree house. There are many design plans online that you can study before creating and building your own design!

3. Want a fun and educational adventure for the whole family? Visit a glass blowing studio to see demonstrations and / or take classes. This is a great way to experience the beauty of combining STEM with art through a creative manufacturing process!

4. Girls: Watch the TED Talk about Debbie Sterling (inventor and CEO of GoldieBLOX) about her journey as a female engineer and her quest to inspire young girls to pursue engineering.

Kelly Wheeler (@kwheeler_kelly), PLTW Launch Teacher of the Year – Menifee, CA

1. Roly Poly Adventures: Science Experiments with Pill Bugs! My daughter Madison is obsessed with roly polies! I found a great blog with wonderful science experiments to do with her over the summers using the Pill Bug!

2. Marble Run (Purchased Product) – My kids love the Marble Run. The set comes with curves, chutes, and wheels for the kids to design amazing marble runs!

Cardboard Boxes! There are so many fun things you can create with cardboard boxes to inspire the inner engineer in your child!

a. Design and build a car out of cardboard. Families could park their cars in the living room and enjoy a family night watching a movie in their own drive-in!

b. Design an arcade game! Get some inspiration from a 9-year-old boy named Caine who created his very own cardboard arcade. http://cainesarcade.com

c. Create a miniature golf course. Q-Tips and paper towel and toilet paper rolls work great!

4. Inventors Box!

My son Colin who is 10 loves to invent and create at home. This activity is inspired by him.

By having a “Tinker” Box at a child’s disposal it will encourage them to use their imagination and natural curiosity to design and build, not to mention it can also store all their items for building. I have a couple of rules for my kiddos at home: if it’s in the box, they can use it how they see fit in their designs. However, if there is something they want to use that is not in the box, they must ask for permission.

Items to include in the box: small boxes, toilet paper and paper towel tubes, yarn, egg cartons, empty butter tubs, broken toys, old toy parts, tape of all kinds, empty cereal boxes, white glue,glue sticks, paper clips, string, left over craft materials, construction paper, aluminum foil,plastic wrap, cotton balls, and any recycled materials around the house. The list could really go on and on. Make sure all materials are safe for children to use.

One fun idea for your child’s tinker box is to design a boat that can hold 10 to 20 pennies and then try to float it in the sink, bathtub, or small pool.

5. Books are always great ways to introduce students to STEM and their inner inventor. Here are a few of my kids’ favorites.

a. The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Sprires

b. What Do You Do With an Idea? by Kobi Yamada

c. Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty

Beth Fox (@bfox01), PLTW Gateway Teacher of the Year – Lenoir, NC

The Engineering Encounters Bridge Design Contest is an Internet-based competition that provides middle school and high school students with a realistic, engaging introduction to engineering. While the contest for 2016 has ended, you can still download the free softwareand try your hand at bridge design to get a leg up on next year’s competition!
Robot Virtual Worlds – Expedition Atlantis! Download this fun activity to learn how to code, incorporate math skills, and expand on your proportional reasoning skills!

Chris Hurd (@CazHSTechLabs), PLTW Engineering Teacher of the Year – Cazenovia, NY

Our local university, the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), offers a “RoboCamp” that is great for students. They actually have a week long robotics camp, as well as weekend programs. Look up a university or college program like it close to you. What kid wouldn’t like to go away for the weekend or the week and delve into the world of robotics?

2. Attend a local “Rocket Launch”! See rockets large and small take to the skies on a monthly basis at a local rocket club’s launch site. The Syracuse rocket club hosts a monthly launch and invites the public to come and watch, and even build one and launch it with them! They meet monthly, and launch monthly, and their members come into my classroom for Tech Club to work with my students on a regular basis. I have a group of students right now building a 6’ tall, two-stage rocket that requires six engines and a license to launch!

3. Visit a local science museum or STEM-based museum to keep students’ interest piqued all summer long. Most have daily activities and lots of hands-on displays as well as an I-MAX theater.

Darwin Shorters (@MrShorters), PLTW Computer Science Teacher of the Year – Charleston, SC

1. Try your hand at the various tutorials on the MIT App Inventor website. Basic tutorials are great to start, and once you have a basic understanding, I suggest the QuizMe tutorial to help students understand the concept of List and how to use indexes to iterate through them.

Dr. Julye Adams (@DrJulyeAdams), PLTW Biomedical Science Teacher of the Year – Georgetown, KY

STRETCH your body. Use stretching techniques to become more flexible. Then research the changes in your ligaments and muscles that have to happen for you to become more flexible. Record your observations.
Design your own toothbrush. What do you wish could be better about your current toothbrush? What issues do you see with it? Design a better version and test it. Record the steps you took to identify the problem, design a new toothbrush, and your final observations in a notebook.
Investigate a “crime.” Ask your parents to set up a mock crime scene. Then make observations and deductions from the scene to determine what happened.

4. Collect water samples from different areas in your house and backyard. Look at small drops with a high magnification magnifying glass. Do you see anything moving? Then research the various things contained in water.

0 comments

From Ivy Park to FableticsWe Picked Our Fave Celeb Athletic Brand Pieces for You

Posted on June 8, 2016

Beyonce is the latest celeb to launch into the athletic clothing brand with her Ivy Park named for her daughter Blue Ivy.

Bey has said the the 228-piece collection aims to promote a powerful message of self-assurance, confidence, inclusivity and diversity, the cornerstones for a generation reared on mindfulness – and it is democratic and accessible.

According to reports, Beyoncé found it depressing that up to 80 per cent of girls give up sport at the age of 13, thus why the line caters to young girls and has a slouchy and comfy aesthetic but with style. The brand was launched in collaboration and partnership with TopShop.

Within hours of the release in April, the brand sold out.

People queuing for #IVYPARK outside @Topshop earlier today. pic.twitter.com/rD4Lxam5ZH
— BEYONCÉ LEGION (@Bey_Legion) April 14, 2016

The collection ranges in price from $15 to $265, according to the Topshop website. Here are our fave pieces.

Actress Kate Hudson is a co-founder of Fabletics, which launched in October 2013.

The line is sold online exclusively. Shoppers can purchase individual items or join a VIP membership for lower pricing and outfit recommendations. Hudson has said of the line that she hopes that Fabletics will inspire women to embrace a healthy lifestyle. “That was a huge goal for us, to inspire women to empower themselves by getting active and taking care of their gorgeous selves, not as a fad or a quick fix, but as a way of living that promotes health, community, determination, passion and joy,” she said.

These pink and grey Fabletics leggings run $75 retail.

The Fabletics Salar Space Dye Capri runs about $65.

Grammy-award winning singer and brand new mom Carrie Underwood launched her athletic clothing line CALIA in 2014 while expecting her first child.

The brand was first available at Dick’s Sporting Goods retail stores and then started selling online last March 2015. The name is inspired by the Greek word for beauty, “Kallos”, as well as calla lilies.

CALIA’s collection includes mid-range priced capris and pants, tops and bras as well as accessories such as tote bags, headbands and water bottles. Functionality and design were key; some pockets in CALIA gear were optimized to fit smart phones.

These Essential Printed Panel Capris runs for $70.

Her women’s Essential Fitness zip up Jacket is a big seller perhaps because of its slimming effect. It has wicking technology pulls moisture away from the skin and boasts a rapid evaporation time so you stay dry, cool and comfortable. It’s just $75-$85.

0 comments

Father’s Day: 10 Apps for Stay-At-Home Dads

Posted on June 7, 2016

Apple’s powerful iPhone is one of the most popular mobile devices on the market and is widely celebrated for its ability to help busy professionals streamline their lives and boost their productivity. Working as a stay at home dad is definitely a full-time job and the iPhone can help you manage all of the different responsibilities that come with it. These 10 apps are effective tools for dads who stay home with their children and act as a primary caregiver, offering plenty of advice, tips and assistance along the way.

Parenting Ages & Stages – Parenting Magazine is a beloved and trusted resource for parents. Now, their advice, tips and useful parenting information is available through this free app, which is fully customizable and will provide you with age-appropriate developmental advice and information about various milestones.
Library Locator – If you can surmount the obstacle of helping a little one to understand the importance of being quiet in the library, a world of wonder and imagination opens up for her. With this free app, you’ll be able to find all of the libraries in your area, hitting every Story Hour along the way!
ICE (In Case of Emergency) – When an emergency or crisis strikes, information that you know like the back of your hand can escape you. That’s where this powerful free app comes in handy, allowing you to store all of your emergency contacts and other relevant information. When you need to access your child’s blood type, allergy information or a list of medications he’s on, it’s all at the tips of your fingers with ICE.
CBS Sports – Keeping up with the score isn’t always easy when there are little ones to attend to. Thankfully, this free app will allow you to follow all of your favorite teams, accessing scores, stats, news and highlights while managing your parenting duties.
Habit Changer® Feeding Your Kids – Making sure that your children eat well and learn to make good dietary choices as they get older is a very important part of successful parenting. Unfortunately, it can also be one of the most complicated. This free app will help you instill good eating habits and reverse less healthy ones though a series of small changes.
Chore Bank – When kids are expected to complete a list of regular chores, it can help them learn a sense of responsibility that will follow them well into adulthood. This $1.99 app not only helps stay at home dads keep up with which chores have been assigned and which are completed, but also any allowances or spending money earned.
WebMD – Knowing when to treat at home and when to consult a professional can be both confusing and a bit frightening. When your child’s health is in question, you’ll want a respected and trusted resource. That’s where the free WebMD app comes into play, loaded with features like Symptom Checkers, Drug Information and First Aid Essentials.
Find My iPhone – Even if you try to keep your iPhone away from little fingers, there will inevitably come a time when a child is so entranced with your expensive device that she can’t resist. Unfortunately, that’s usually also when she’ll misplace it somehow. This free app helps you locate one missing iOS device by using another.
The Weather Channel® – Planning a big, exciting outing only to be foiled by rain because you forgot to check the weather forecast can make for very unhappy children, which is why this free app should have a place on your iPhone. Get not only up-to-the-minute forecast information, but also push alerts for severe weather and high pollen levels.
SimplyNoise – Dads who have discovered the magic of a car ride or washing machine know the power of white noise to soothe a restless sleeper. This $0.99 app features high-fidelity white, brown and pink noise that can lull your little ones to sleep in no time.

0 comments

News

CDC: Men, No Sex for 6 Months if You Travel to Zika-Effected Region

Posted on June 7, 2016

Today, we’ve learned that the star player for the NBA‘s Golden State Warrior basketball team, Steph Curry, has decided to skip Summer’s Rio Olympics in order to let his injured knee heel properly in between seasons, ESPN reports.

Speculators believe he is also fearful of contracting Zika, a disease which results in flu-like symptoms to adult carriers but is sexually transmitted and can result in birth defects to an incubating fetus.

Curry and his wife Ayesha Curry have a wonderful franchise of their own in their adorable daughters Riley and Ryan Curry. If they were to accidentally build on #TeamCurry, they’d be risking the next member being negatively effected by Zika.

Also…here is another reason that married and/or sexually active speculators need to consider: the Centers for Disease Control recommends that men who travel to Zika-effected regions to abstain from sex or use condoms for six months after leaving the region if they start exhibiting symptoms of the disease.

SIX MONTHS?!?!?!?!?!? Whoa baby!

That’s right, the unknown nature of this virus has caused the agency to go even further given that symptoms may not show up immediately. It is recommended that men abstain altogether whether or not they have a positive test.

Well…there’s some motivation right there to keep some married men with wives of child-bearing age away, huh? (wink)

Of the 273 confirmed Zika cases on the U.S. mainland, 9 involve pregnant women. Six of those cases were transmitted sexually, the CDC said.

0 comments

Jeneba Jalloh Ghatt